I love the winter cleanup to start the slate clean, but I won’t be pruning that thryallis just yet. Others, like Salvia greggii, should be pruned now. Whatever I prune, as I work around each plant, I scrabble up the old mulch to “de-clunk” it a bit. I snag weeds and tree seedlings in hiding. Take along some pliers to pull out stubborn (small) tree seedlings! It’s also the perfect time to add compost and fresh mulch while things are cut back.

But what can we prune and when? This winter’s warmth makes it especially hard. When bees and butterflies are going for flowers on our Salvia greggiis, what to do?

My technique is to whack low to the ground the ones that aren’t flowering. For others, I work my way around them. It looks odd for a few weeks, but we’ll get a winter nip and then I cut them all back. If you’re too kind and don’t do it, the plants will look straggly and won’t produce as many flowers later, since they bloom on new growth.

Even though now is the perfect time to shape your rosemary plants, it’s hard to do it when bees are going for the flowers. So again, I do selective shaping.

I’ve left some of the asters in case little birds want their seeds. Others I’ve snipped to their rosettes to show off the bee-loving bulbs coming up underneath.

This one’s against Artemisia ‘Powis Castle.’ I couldn’t stand the artemisia’s legginess, and snipped it good. Normally I’d wait until mid-February or later (depending on weather) but I went for it since it was sending out new leaf buds. If we hit 17 degrees in a few weeks, I’ll be clipping again.

This week, Daphne answers a few questions about pruning. Here’s one reason to hold off on a few things: “Those above-ground plant parts, which may look completely lifeless, have sugars and other plant nutrients in them that may take a while to make their way down into the roots. They also serve as a small amount of protection to the soil around the roots of the plant, and those are two reasons why it’s really best to leave those unsightly “sticks” alone until we are into late winter. Another reason is that pruning stimulates growth. And when a plant is trying to “go to sleep” for the winter, you need to go ahead and let it do that.”

And, I’m following Daphne’s advice: don’t prune evergreens until we’re closer to the last frost date. I’ll wait until at least March 1 for them and later for the shrimp and thryallis, again depending on the forecast. More on pruning next week!

It IS time to prune red oaks and live oaks that are susceptible to oak wilt.

See how he turned the routine into captivation for the family and wildlife.

Here’s a spot under consideration.

David’s designed two renditions (that include the backyard). It allows for edibles and ornamentals. Once you have a design, you can fill with your choice of plants. Here’s the circular concept.

This one is more straight on.

Which would you do? That’s part of the fun! Are you a circular person or a straight on person? Or do you want a little of each? It’s your garden, so get some marking paint and just imagine!

On tour, visit Helen Roberts, who enriches her life with art from every viewpoint. Her garden, named The Muses, is a perpetual gallery that mounts a new exhibit every season. With designer Bridget Lane, Helen chose a no-lawn garden that respects her land and encourages the wildlife that performs every day.

I love the way that Anne uses grasses, yuccas, and agaves for vertical distinction against free-flow natives that nectar hosts of winged visitors. Here’s a nice duo: Lindheimer muhly and and Deer muhly.

Lindheimer seed heads.

For years, I had a Lindheimer in the front garden: a homecoming beacon every fall from far down the street.

Then it got too shady, and it whimpered away. Last year, with some tree pruning, I had sun again. I was about to get another Lindheimer, when Patrick Kirwin gave me another idea, Pine muhly (Muhlenbergia dubia), a smaller choice for that space. I planted one in front and three more in the back bed, where despite their youth, already they do a great job against the turk’s cap.

Garden designer Patrick of Kirwin Horticulture Services has been working on a design that includes buffalo grass, Indian bunch grass, switch grass, bearded iris, rain lilies and more.

Patrick also shows off the sedge Carex retroflexa. I have a few here and there, but intend to replace some of my dead lawn with them this year. I’m totally in love with this sedge!

On tour, check out East Side Patch, where discovery replaced lawn. Leah and Philip Leveridge have made some changes since our taping (of course!), but their helpful hobbits and the Botox lady approve their proactive and on-going DD (drought design).

At ESP and in every garden, sometimes we’re flamboozled when one plant craters and its mates are healthy, just a few feet apart. What’s up with that? This week, Daphne explainswhat can happen. In her case, she planted four Southern wax myrtles (Morella cerifera) along her fence last February. She watered them just the same. Two are fine.

Two are compost.

What happened? Here’s her analysis: “In this situation, the angle of the sun is the issue. By about 5 p.m. in mid-summer, the first plant in the row was out of direct sunlight. But the last one in the row was in a direct hit of the full late afternoon and evening sun until almost 9 p.m. These newly planted, small shrubs just couldn’t take all that intense sun and simply burned to a crisp, almost in front of my eyes.” Get her complete answerabout what can produce different results in the same garden.

Daphne’s pick of the week is native fall aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), a reliable perennial in psycho light, drought, freeze, and floods. I planted my first ones years ago and divide some every winter to spread around. Regardless of weather events, they’ve never missed an October date with bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.

Their tops will freeze back in winter, but their rosettes quickly cover the ground. Simply cut back those dead stems to the rosette for a pretty groundcover all winter. I fill the blank spaces with naturalizing bulbs.